PhD scholarship in International Business and AI at CBS, Department of International Economics, Government and Business

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for a PhD scholarship in International Business (IB), with a focus on the role that artificial intelligence plays in IB. The scholarship will be based at the Department of International Economics, Government and Business (EGB).

The expected starting date is September 1, 2025 (negotiable).

EGB is a multidisciplinary department that conducts high-quality research in the fields of international business and political science / analysis that has direct relevance to business, decision-makers and the broader public whilst also addressing contemporary societal challenges.

EGB faculty apply advanced quantitative and qualitative methods. To learn more about the research and teaching profile of the department, please visit the departmental homepage here. You should also consult the EGB PhD page here.

The department’s PhD fellows will gain much from our research seminars and other activities. At the same time, applicants should consider the overall contribution that they themselves can make to the department’s research environment. They should also demonstrate relevant experience in higher education, business, and dissemination activities.

The three-year PhD programme at CBS gives candidates the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of CBS faculty, supported by research-related PhD courses. The programme is highly international, and you will be expected to participate in international research conferences and research visits abroad. Applicants should also be ready to undertake teaching activities. See the CBS homepage for more information about the PhD programme, here
CBS PhD graduates are not only highly regarded in higher education and research institutions but also in government and business where their research qualifications are in increasing demand. Recent EGB graduates have secured positions in leading universities, consultancies and government agencies.

Application and admission requirements

To be considered the applicant should:

• have a weighted grade point average of at least 8.2 on the Danish 7-point grading scale for the bachelor's and master's degree combined or alternatively a weighted grade point average must be at least 9.5 for the master's degree alone. If the grade point average is not met, documentation for being in the top 40% of the class is also accepted. In rare cases, the grade requirement can be waived. The department will give preference to applicants with excellent grades from their universities.
• have a Master's degree corresponding to the 3 + 2 Bologna process
• have received a grade of 10 (or equivalent) for the Master's thesis according to the Danish 7-point grading scale (https://eng.uvm.dk/general-overview/7-point-grading-scale)
• have completed the Master's programme before starting the PhD programme at CBS Please note: the applicant may apply for enrolment before the completion of the Master’s degree. In this case, enrolment will be conditional upon the Master’s degree having been successfully completed by the time of enrolment.
• have an educational background in business and / or the social sciences
• have a command of academic English at a very high level. If the applicant’s Master thesis was written in English this will be considered as sufficient evidence of this.

The project

Applicants are invited to submit plans for potential PhD projects. These plans should incorporate specific research questions and focus on EITHER (i) the ways in which artificial intelligence can change decision-making in multinational companies and hence international business strategies OR (ii) how artificial intelligence, particularly deep-learning based simulation models, can help research and business practice better understand international business activities OR (iii) the means by which machine learning techniques can be used to investigate research questions in IB for which traditional econometric methods are less suitable.

The proposals should demonstrate detailed consideration of the proposed research question(s) and incorporate an assessment of relevant methodological approaches. Applicants should furthermore:

• be able to demonstrate excellent quantitative and coding skills, particularly in R or Python.
• have a commitment to building on state-of-the art computational methods for larger scale data analysis, and/or the integration of multiple different datasets (such as VDEM, Compustat, BoardEx, etc.) and/or the collection of original data (through for example surveys, experiments, or text analysis).

The application
The plan constitutes the backbone of the application and should be very carefully prepared. It may not exceed five pages and should include the following:
* a brief explanation of the aims of the project
* an outline of the research question(s)
* a positioning of the project in an appropriate research field
* a description of the research literature already published within that field
* an outline/explanation of the theories to be included
* an outline/explanation of the methods to be used
* an indication of the project’s potential contribution to scientific development
* a work plan (brief) which describes the main phases in the project.

Further information can be found here

In addition to the project description, copies of the following must be included:
* diploma for bachelor's and master's degree or other certificates at an equivalent level as well as the grade transcripts
* documentation for being in the top 40% of the class (if grade requirements are not met)
* a concise curriculum vitae (CV)
* a list of articles and publications (if applicable)
* one example of a selected written work (e.g. master's thesis)

Following an offer of employment, the successful applicant has to be enrolled in the CBS PhD School. Further information about CBS PhD scholarships and the PhD programme can be found here.

Employment and salary
A PhD scholarship runs for a period of three years and includes teaching obligations corresponding to 416 working hours. The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement. The monthly salary is currently approximately DKK 28,993 up to DKK 35,015, depending on seniority, and a pension contribution totaling 17.1%. The scholarship includes tuition fees, office space, course and travel costs (according to the current CBS agreement).
Salary level and employment take place in accordance with the Ministry of Finance's agreement with the Academics' Central Organization.

Recruitment procedures
Selected applications will be considered by an assessment committee, which will consider whether the applicant is qualified for the position. A number from amongst those deemed qualified will be invited to present themselves and their project at a departmental seminar and attend an interview. Please note that a positive assessment does not automatically result in an interview. Applicants will be kept notified of their status in the recruitment process.
Please find guidelines and further information on scholarships and the Doctoral Programme at http://uk.cbs.dk/phd.

The application must be sent via the electronic recruitment system, using the link below.
Copenhagen Business School must receive all application material, including all appendices (see items above), ahead of the deadline, 1 May 2025.

There will be online open meetings to provide further information and answer questions about the post. You can obtain details of these from the department’s PhD Coordinator Eddie Ashbee, [email protected]

Details about Copenhagen Business School and the department are available at www.cbs.dk

Apply online

Application due: 5/1/2025

WE TRANSFORM SOCIETY WITH BUSINESS

CBS is a globally recognised business school with deep roots in the Nordic socio-economic model. We have a broad focus on business and societal challenges of the 21st century. As such we have a full portfolio of high-quality disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and education that has equipped generations of professionals and leaders in the private sector and beyond.

Located at Frederiksberg, Denmark, the school has approx. 21.000 full and part-time students, 760 full-time faculty members, 210 PhD students and 680 administrative staff, and a full portfolio of Bachelor, Master’s, MBA/EMBA, PhD and Executive programmes delivered in English and Danish.

Our global profile carries the obligation to develop the transformational capabilities of students, graduates and business leaders via our educational activities and opportunities for lifelong learning. Complex challenges call for joint action, and therefore our strategy focuses on strengthening current and starting new partnerships with other sciences, the business community, authorities and civil society.